Workout With Melinda: Her 60-Minute Gym Routine

Last month we snagged some of Melinda's top skincare secrets, and now we're sharing her go-to gym workout with you.

Not only is Melinda the founder and CEO of Baby2Body, but she's also the fitness trainer behind so many of the workouts on the Baby2Body app. She's trained pregnant women and new mothers through their workout routines for nearly 25 years, she's been an athlete all her life, and she just knows all the things when it comes to fitness.

She's probably done every type of workout on the market, but her go-to gym routine has been a long time staple and she's sharing the details with us! Alright, we're turning over the rest of this blog post to Melinda to share more...

My avenue for self-care has always been exercise. I can step away from everything by spending an hour in the gym. It allows me to unwind and take off my CEO hat, my mom hat, my friend hat -- I'm just there for me. Once I've had that time to focus on myself, it allows me to take on those roles in my life with renewed energy.

This hour-long gym routine is my ultimate #metime workout, as it combines cardio, strength-training, and dynamic stretching all in one. Since I know we have so many pregnant readers, I've given modifications for how you can do this workout at any stage. I hope you'll give it a go!

25 Minutes: Warm Up & Cardio

An effective warm-up should slowly raise your heart rate and “wake up” your joints and the muscles you are about to use, which reduces your chance of injury.

I’m a fan of hopping on an elliptical to do my warm up, and I'll gradually up the speed over time -- combining my warm up and cardio work in one. Here's what it looks like:

• 5 minutes (easy pace) – This is a brisk walk, meant to get my heart rate up from resting.

• 10 minutes (medium pace) – I'll increase the speed or resistance to get to an endurance pace -- something I could maintain for a while comfortably, but I'm definitely working harder than a walk.

• 5 minutes (fast pace) – I'll increase the intensity again to get to a pace where I'm really exerting myself -- getting my heart rate up above 170 bpm.

• 5 minutes (easy pace) -- To finish it off, I'll back it down to a brisk walk again to let my heart rate slowly gradually from the cardio work.

If pregnant: Do 5 minutes at an easy pace, 15 minutes at a medium pace, then 5 minutes at an easy pace. Just make sure you don’t work yourself to a fatigue or feel dizzy at all.

25 Minutes: Strength Training

You can use light weights and your bodyweight for strength training, which will help build muscle tone, which is so important in a fitness routine.

I tend to vary which muscle groups I focus on (arm day, leg day), but if I were to do a full body workout in one trip to the gym – this is what it would look like:

• Upper Series – using 3.5-kg (7.5lb) weights

  • 10 biceps curls

  • 10 triceps extensions

  • 10 seated rows

  • 10 lateral raises

  • Lower Series

    • 10 squats

    • 10 walking lunges – alternating sides for one repetition

    • 10 side lunges – alternating sides for one repetition

    • 10 standing leg lifts

    • Repeat Upper Series

    • Repeat Lower Series

    • Floor Series

      • 30-second side planks (on each side)

        • 1-minute forearm planks

        • Repeat Floor Series

If pregnant: the only switch you should need to make is for the planks -- instead do Bird Dog Holds. You can also modify the weights for the Upper Series to your needs.

10 Minutes: Stretching & Recovery Flow

An effective cool down is crucial for preventing post-workout dizziness. It’s also a great time to work on flexibility – because your muscles are warmed up and primed for stretching.

My cool down usually lasts about 10 minutes (but it depends on what I need!) and I love following this simple yoga flow:

• Warrior Pose – both sides

• 2 sets of Sun Salutations

• Downward Dog

• Pigeon pose – both sides

• Butterfly pose

• Supine spine twist – both sides

• Cat and Cow pose

• Child’s pose

If pregnant: form is really important for prenatal yoga, so I'd recommend downloading the Baby2Body app to follow along with the stretches and flows we offer!

One thing I haven't mentioned here is how I fuel and refuel after my workouts -- which is a really important of any fitness routine! If you'd like to learn more about my pre and post-workout nutrition, let me know in the comments below. Until next time!